Every now and then when I tell people what I do for a living, "I make plays and teach theatre classes for babies and toddlers," I understandably get a slightly confused look. "So...do the babies...perform?" Nope. Not unless they wander on stage while the play is going on. And believe me, that happens.But Spellbound is about more than giving babies and toddlers performance skills, it is about supporting their natural development through art.While music for young children is generally accepted as a beneficial for babies' brains and skill development, other art forms such as visual art, dance, and theatre are rarely focused on before the age of five, other than craft activities. But can babies have an aesthetic and creative experience in a theatre class or at a performance? I believe they can, and here are three reasons why:

1. Babies learn about the world through their senses...touch, sight, sound, and taste. These are the tools of the theatre. Well, maybe not taste, but if you're going to bring materials into a baby class, you better be ready for them to be chewed on. All of our performances and classes feature objects that have texture, sound, color, and the flexibility to be used in many different ways, which engages a young child's imagination. Our approach is multi-sensory and responsive to children's curiosity and creativity. We focus less on characters, conflict, and narrative storytelling, and more how we can transport ourselves through imagination and play. Our guiding questions in almost every single class and play we develop are, "How does this work? What can I do with it?"

2. In art, there are no "wrong" answers. Babyhood and toddlerhood is all about experimentation. Trying everything a million different ways until you find the way that works. Or, for some children, trying one way over and over and over again until you understand every piece of it. Creative play and imaginative art-making relies on the process of experimentation, risk-taking, and multiple solutions. These are critical skills that our babies will need as they grow up in the 21st Century, and we believe that they are central to both child development and the artistic process.

3. Our classes are collaborative and in-the-moment, just like live theatre. Parents/caregivers work right alongside the children, modeling the creative process and finding new ways to engage with their babies from moment to moment. We encourage adults to take the same risks and experiment with the same materials in order to make their own discoveries alongside the young people. This collaboration is rewarding because both generations are learning skills that will go with them outside of the classroom. The skill of being present in the moment and making discoveries even amongst the familiar are the tools of the actor, and these are the skills that we encourage the adults to use in class and to foster in their children. This is a fast, results-driven world, but at Spellbound, our motto is, "slower, smaller, more intimate." We want to encourage parents/caregivers to think like artists and find new, collaborative ways to captivate the interest and curiosity of the babies. So, no, we aren't teaching our babies to perform. We are providing a space for them to explore, discover, create, and share...and these are the things that are the essence of theatre. Join us for spring classes starting next week!

Playing with movement and balance

If you've spent five minutes with a young child recently, you'll have noticed that they almost never, ever stop moving except when they're asleep. Movement is one of the primary ways that young children explore their world and learn about their own bodies. Babies, especially, are learning new ways to move and balance almost every month. Here are some fun activities that you can do at home to capitalize on your child's love of movement.Two Feet, Two HandsThis activity is great for toddlers learning simple numbers and balance skills. Ask your child to make a shape with their body that has "two fee and two hands" on the floor. Then, change the combination by asking for "one foot, one hand." Get as creative as you can and challenge your child's physical dexterity and problem solving skills. BONUS TIP: If you do this project in tandem with your child, you can use even more number combinations - "three feet and four hands" is suddenly possible!Stepping StonesThis is a variation of the "hot lava" game that we all used to play. Designate one area of your room as the river, and the goal of this game is to get from one side to the other. Use books, stools, or pillows to create a path of stepping stones across the river and see how fast you can cross. Challenge your child by placing the "stones" farther and farther apart, or see if you can do the challenge together. BONUS TIP: The adults in the house can offer up their own bodies as human "bridges" that the children must cross. In, Around, and ThroughStrengthen your child's understanding of spacial vocabulary by playing a variation of "Simon Says." Have a race to see how fast your child can find a position in relation to other objects in the room. Use words like "under, over, inside, between, around, on top of, behind, and beneath" to help them stretch their physical skills as well as having hands-on connection to new words and concepts. Have fun moving! Let us know if you have any other favorite movement games that we can add to our list.

Having fun while trapped inside

We're cancelling classes because of a snow storm today, and we thought you might like a few tips on staying creative while staying inside. The ClassicSnow storm = hibernation = pillow fort. We here at Spellbound have a well-documented love of blanket forts, and this classic creative play activity is a great chance for kids (and adults) of any age to stretch their imagination. Build your own snow cave and imagine who might live inside. For babies, forts can be a great time to talk about spacial concepts like "up," "down," "in," and "out." For toddlers and preschoolers, you can make suggestions about different places they might be: a castle, a cave, a ship. For elementary kids, this is a chance to write a full-length drama with characters, subplots, and intrigue. There is no end to the fun that can be provided with some blankets, tables, and pillows.

The Avant GardeBored with your crayons and construction paper? Make some full-body art inside! Just get your child nude and pop them in a steamy tub with a watercolor set and a selection of brushes. Don't fill the tub, just run enough to keep them warm and get the colors in the watercolors nice and rich, and then go to town! Babies love to explore different parts of their bodies by painting (or having you paint) their toes, their belly, their nose. Toddlers who are steady on their feet can stand and paint the walls. As they get older, you can encourage your child to paint a representative picture, or even to tell a story through a mural. The great thing about this activity is that it is very satisfyingly messy, but the only thing you need to do to clean up is pull the curtain and turn on the shower.

The Sculptor Bring a tray of snow inside and make a 3-D melting sculpture at your table. You can paint the snow with watercolors and experiment with combining primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) to make secondary colors (green, purple, and orange). If you make a colored ice sculpture and lay it on a piece of white finger-painting paper, as it melts the color will make a beautiful color design. This is not only a fun art-making activity, but also a great opportunity to dig into science in a creative way. Make predictions about how long it will take different sculptures to melt and chart your results!

The Performance ArtistTurn off the lights, grab a flashlight, and see what kind of shadows you can make on the walls or a curtain. You can use body shapes, objects, or even build a shadow puppet. Take your child on a hunt through the house to find different materials such as paper, fabric, and plastic and experiment with which ones are opaque and which are semi-transparent. You can also play around with size and shape by changing the distance between the flashlight, the object, and the wall. What makes an object bigger? More focused? Can you make an object's shadow look like something other than what it really is?

Stay warm, friends! And please share any other ideas you have for snow day fun at home.

We have a bit of a heatwave going on in New York this week, and that has inspired us to share some ideas on how to stay cool with your baby, toddler, or young child while still sparking their creativity and having fun.

The ClassicThere's no incentive like a hot day to turn your livingroom or garden into a blanket fort. We here at Spellbound have a well-documented love of blanket forts, and this classic creative play activity is a great chance for kids (and adults) of any age to stretch their imagination. For babies, forts can be a great time to talk about spacial concepts like "up," "down," "in," and "out." For toddlers and preschoolers, you can make suggestions about different places they might be: a castle, a cave, a ship. For elementary kids, this is a chance to write a full-length drama with characters, subplots, and intrigue. There is no end to the fun that can be provided with some blankets, tables, and pillows.

The Avant GardeIf it's too hot for clothes, get your child nude and pop them in the tub with a watercolor set and a selection of brushes. Don't turn the water on, just run enough to get the colors in the watercolors nice and rich, and then go to town! Babies love to explore different parts of their bodies by painting (or having you paint) their toes, their belly, their nose. Toddlers who are steady on their feet can stand and paint the walls. As they get older, you can encourage your child to paint a representative picture, or even to tell a story through a mural. The great thing about this activity is that it is very satisfyingly messy, but the only thing you need to do to clean up is pull the curtain and turn on the shower.

The Graffiti ArtistIf you have a shady spot available on a nearby sidewalk, bring out some sidewalk chalk and a bucket of ice. You can use the ice to "draw" on the sidewalk and then watch it evaporate in the heat. For preschoolers with great motor skills, bring brushes and some plain water and they can write or draw with the water using the brushes. This is a great opportunity to mix media and see how the ice and chalk interact together, but it also is a great opening for a arts integrated science lesson about ice, water, and evaporation.

The Performance ArtistTurn off the lights, grab a flashlight, and see what kind of shadows you can make on the walls or a curtain. You can use body shapes, objects, or even build a shadow puppet. Take your child on a hunt through the house to find different materials such as paper, fabric, and plastic and experiment with which ones are opaque and which are semi-transparent. You can also play around with size and shape by changing the distance between the flashlight, the object, and the wall. What makes an object bigger? More focused? Can you make an object's shadow look like something other than what it really is?

Stay cool during this heatwave, friends! And please share any other ideas you have for low-key creative play!

Despite the persistant snow, it's almost Spring, and that means it's time to get outside for some adventures! Turn your regular walk through the neighborhood into an exciting adventure by adding in some imaginative play.

Draw a treasure map of your block.

Create a family "adventure song" that you can sing together as you walk through the park.

Write out a list of secret ingredients for a magic potion (3 twigs, 1 acorn, 2 rocks that look like cats) that you can search for along the way.

After a winter of being cooped up, there is no limit to the fun we can have with a simple walk around the block. Stretch your legs AND your storytelling skills!